Oskar Leimgruber

Leimgruber was born in Fribourg, Switzerland. He studied at several institutions—University of Fribourg, University of Bern, and University of Vienna—obtaining his doctorate in 1911.

During his studies, Leimgruber worked as an editor at La Liberté and Freiburger Zeitung, as well as Secretary of the Trade Association of the Canton of Fribourg.

In 1912, he began working as a lawyer for Swiss Federal Railways. In 1919, he became a member of the Central Committee of the Catholic Conservative Party (CVP) and the Secretary General of the Federal Department of the Postal Services and Railways.^{[citation needed]} Named Vice-Chancellor in 1925, he created the Federal Office for Printing and Materials in 1926. Leimgruber represented Switzerland at numerous international conferences.^{[citation needed]}

In 1923, he founded the International Union of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises^{[citation needed]}. In 1930, he presided over the Union of International Associations in Brussels. He has written extensively on issues of the economy, administration, sociology and jurisprudence.^{[citation needed]}

In 1934 Leimgruber was defeated by George Bovet in a close election for a new Federal Chancellor. Upon running again in 1941, he was elected as Federal Chancellor. He was the first Chancellor belonging to the Catholic Conservatives. Leimgruber introduced simultaneous translation of speeches in the National Council and the Council of States. For the centenary in 1948, he was the co-editor of the book Emblem, Seals and Constitutions of the Swiss Confederation and the Cantons and Adjusted Collection of Federal Laws and Regulations from 1848 to 1947.^{[citation needed]} He resigned as chancellor in 1951 and died in Bern in 1976.

• Marianne Rolle: "Oskar Leimgruber" in German, French and Italian in the online Historical Dictionary of Switzerland, 4 December 2007.
• "Oskar Leimgruber (1944-1951)". Federal Chancellery of Switzerland (in German). Archived from the original on 19 May 2015. Retrieved 17 May 2015.